Bulls edge 76ers in overtime

The 76ers' Nerlens Noel (right) blocks a shot by Chicago's Tony Snell during the second half on Wednesday night.

The 76ers' Nerlens Noel (right) blocks a shot by Chicago's Tony Snell during the second half on Wednesday night. (Matt Slocum, AP)

Tom MooreOf Calkins Media

76ers lose to Chicago in overtime

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers had plenty of chances to beat the injury-depleted Bulls on Wednesday night, including the final shot in regulation.

But Luc Mbah a Moute missed a jumper in the closing seconds and Chicago dominated overtime, sending the Sixers to a 104-95 overtime loss at the half-filled Wells Fargo Center.

The Sixers, who were outscored 12-3 in OT, shot 1-for-10 from the field in the extra session while the Bulls were 5-for-8.

"We just had no lift, no oomph in overtime," said Sixers coach Brett Brown.

Brown said the plan was to look for Mbah a Moute (1-for-10 shooting) at the end of regulation on a pick-and-pop play and he would do it again.

"No doubt," he said. "He was wide open. I would back him taking that shot 10 times out of 10."

The 14-50 Sixers missed their first 12 field-goal attempts of the second half and fell behind by 11 points before Robert Covington hit a driving layup with 4:21 left in the third period.

"I thought we were terminal with our decisions in the third quarter," Brown said. "We didn't move the ball."

The Sixers' 104 field goal attempts (making 36) were the most in the building's 18-year history and the 41 3-point attempts (hitting 11) also marked a floor record. They only had 16 assists on 36 baskets.

"There were times when the offense was out of sync," said Nerlens Noel, who contributed eight points, 15 rebounds and four steals before fouling out late in OT.

Chicago, which had lost three in a row, was without four of its top five players (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson), leaving the Bulls with a starting group of Aaron Brooks, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol.

The Sixers counteracted a 52-14 edge in bench scoring by going just 12-for-25 (48 percent) from the foul line despite converting five of their last six free throws.

"We've got to hit our free throws," Noel said. "That would've put us in a better position later in the game."

Brown started usual backup point guard Ish Smith in place of Isaiah Canaan because Canaan had missed the two previous practices due to an upper respiratory infection and wasn't 100 percent. Canaan hit all three of his first-quarter 3-pointers en route to a team-high 20-point night, though he missed eight of his final 10 shots. Brown used the two sub-6-footers together for the bulk of the fourth quarter. Backup power forward Thomas Robinson had nine rebounds in nine first-half minutes on the way to grabbing 15 in 17.

Gasol paced the 40-26 Bulls with 27 points and 16 rebounds.

"The effort was there," Noel said. "We've just got to do the little things."

NOTES: Noel has had four-plus steals in four straight games, making him the first Sixer since Allen Iverson (Feb. 2-7, 2002) to do so. ... Sixers newly signed swingman Glenn Robinson III didn't play. Neither did big man Henry Sims for the third straight game after appearing in 60 of the Sixers' first 61. … The Sixers face the Kings on Friday before completing the five-game homestand against the Nets on Saturday.